Method and apparatus for packaging bottled products in basket-style carriers

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for continuous packaging of bottled beverages, or the like, in basket-style carriers wherein the carriers are advanced by an overhead conveyor, in opened-up condition with bottom wall forming flaps, which initially depend in the plane of the side walls being hinged to an upwardly inclined position while the carriers travel down an inclined path, for assembly with groups of the bottled beverages which are advanced on a bottom conveyor to an assembly area where successive carriers are forced in telescoping relation down over groups of bottles and the bottom wall forming panels of the carriers which have been hinged upwardly are engaged and drawn downwardly by plate members carried on endless conveyors traveling in vertical paths on opposite sides of the groups of bottles, after which heat activatable adhesive on the bottom wall forming flaps is activated and the flaps which have been swung down upon advance beyond the draw down plates are plowed into bottom wall forming position with overlapping margins in seam forming engagement so as to complete the packages.

United States Patent Arneson METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING BOTTLED PRODUCTS IN BASKET-STYLE CARRIERS Inventor: Edwin L. Arneson, Hillsdale, NJ.

Assignee: Federal Paper Board Company, Inc.,

Montvale, NJ.

Filed: Sept. 8, 1970 Appl. No.: 70,435

U.S. Cl. ..53/26, 53/32, 53/48,

53/242 Int. Cl ..B65b 21/22, B65b 5/06 Field of Search ..53/32, 48, 49, 242, 243, 26

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1970 Standley ..53/242 X 7/1970 Masch ..53/242 X Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant ExaminerNeil Abrams Attorney-(heist, Lockwood, Greenawalt & Dewey Oct. 17, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT A method and apparatus for continuous packaging of bottled beverages, or the like, in basket-style carriers wherein the carriers are advanced by an overhead conveyor, in opened-up condition with bottom wall forming flaps, which initially depend in the plane of the side walls being hinged to :an upwardly inclined position while the carriers travel down an inclined path, for assembly with groups of the bottled beverages which are advanced on a bottom conveyor to an assembly area where successive carriers are forced in telescoping relation down over groups of 7 bottles and the bottom wall forming panels of the carriers which have been hinged upwardly are engaged and drawn downwardly by plate members carried on endless conveyors traveling in vertical paths on opposite sides of the groups of bottles, after which heat activatable adhesive on the bottom wall forming flaps is activated and the flaps which have been swung down upon advance beyond the draw down plates are plowed into bottom wall forming position with overlapping margins in seam forming engagement so as to complete the packages.

18 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3.698.151 sum 2 0F 3 INVENTOR EDWIN L. ARNESON ATT'YS.

PKTENTED l 7 I973 3 6 98, 151 sum 3 or 3 INVENTOR EDWIN L. ARNESON ATT'YS. 6

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING BOTTLED PRODUCTS IN BASKET-STYLE CARRIERS In the marketing of bottled beverages, for example, beer and soft drinks, two types of package arrangements have generally been employed. In both types of package the bottles have been grouped in clusters or assemblies of six, eight, or 12 bottles, in two rows sideby-side and of equal number, and a wraparound blank has been applied to each assembly, or each assembly of bottles has been placed in a carrier having the form of a basket divided by partition members into separate cells for each of the bottles. Both forms of carrier have had extended use in the marketing of bottled beverages. Improvements have been made in the design of both types of carriers generally to provide a more stable package or to reduce the manufacture and assembly costs. The basket type carrier has presented many problems which has tended to reduce its acceptability. Generally, this type carrier has required a greater amount of paperboard material than the wraparound carrier and assembly costs have been higher because it has been the practice to furnish these carriers in flattened, collapsed condition to the bottling plant and relatively complicated machinery has been required for placing the bottles in the carriers when they are opened up. Also the assembly operation has most often been carried out on packing machines which operate with an intermittent motion which limits the output. Some effort has been made to develop carriers of the basket type which could be telescoped over an assembly of bottles so as to eliminate the need for the guide members which are necessary when the'bottles are dropped into the top of the basket type conveyor. This would permit smaller cell size with resultant tighter fit of the bottles and a more stable package but such efforts have not been very successful. Also, the lack of a suitable adhesive for holding bottom flaps in closed position has provided a deterrent in the adoption of this type carrier. However, this last problem has been solved more recently by the development of better adhesives for this purpose. Some new designs and improved methods of fabricating this type carrier have now been developed which more readily permit the carriers to be assembled with groups of bottles by telescoping the carriers over the bottles. One such carrier which can be economically produced and which provides a tight wrapped bottom seam package is disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 62,360 filed Aug. 10, 1970.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for assembling cellular basket-type carriers with groups of bottled beverages which enables the assembly operations to be carried out in a continuous manner at a relatively high rate of speed. I

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for assembling cellular bottle carriers with groups of bottles which are advancing in a continuous procession by aligning'successive carriers with bottom wall forming flaps in open position, over the bottle assemblies and pulling the carriers down over the groups of bottles without interrupting their movement and thereafter folding the bottom wall forming flaps into bottom sealing relation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for packaging bottled products wherein open bottom, cellular carriers are telescoped over successive groups of bottles and pulled down over the latter so that the bottles are snugly positioned in the cells with the bottom wall forming flaps being folded beneath the same and adhesively secured so as to form a wall structure which will adequately support the weight of the bottles when the carriers are lifted by gripping longitudinal center partition and handle members which separate two parallel rows of bottle accommodating cells.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the method and apparatus which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, largely schematic and with portions broken away, showing an apparatus for assembling continuously cellular basket-type carriers with clusters of bottles in row formation;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with portions broken away or omitted;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 7 is a partial side elevation showing the portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 which is located at the assembly station;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of one of the carriers in collapsed flattened condition;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one of the carriers in opened up condition in which it is applied to a cluster of bottles; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the completed package with a bottle positioned in each of the carrier cells.

Referring first to FIGS. 8 to 10, the carrier 10 is adapted to be loaded with a cluster of bottles 11, in the form shown the cluster comprising six bottles 11 arranged in two rows and in side-by-side relation. The carriers 10 are furnished to the bottling plant in flattened, knocked down condition as: shown F IG. 8. Each carrier comprises, when opened up, parallel side walls 12, 12' connected at corresponding ends by end walls 13, 13 with a combination longitudinal partition and handle structure 14 extending between the end walls 13, 13 and connected with the side walls 12, 12' by hinged cross straps 15, 16 and 15', 16. The cross partition forming pairs of strap members 15, 16 and 15', 16' extend on each side of the center partition member 14 in vertical planes and in hinged relation to the bottom margin of the latter and having hinge connections with the side walls 12, the hinged connection at each end of each of the cross straps 15, 16 being on a vertical hinge line. Each side wall 12, 12' has an associated bottom flap 17, 17' which initially extends in the plane of the side wall to which it is hingedly connected on the hinge line 18, 18. In assembling the carriers with a cluster of bottles 11, successive opened up carrier members 10 are aligned over a cluster of bottles, which, in the form shown, are three bottles in two rows forming a cluster of six bottles. The carriers are drawn down over the assembly of bottles and thereafter the bottom wall forming flaps 17, 17 are closed on the hinge lines 18, 18 and a previously applied strip of a heat activatable adhesive is activated to form a seam in overlapped portions of the flaps 17, 17 so asto close the bottom of the carrier and complete the package.

The machine 20, which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, is designed to assemble or load the carriers with six bottles each in a continuous manner. The drive members for the various movable elements, which may be of any suitable design are omitted or broken away. The machine 20 comprises a continuously driven bottle supporting conveyor 21 which may be in the form of a flat, endless belt supported on end rollers, only one of which is shown at 21 in FIG. 1. The conveyor 21 has a horizontally disposed run 22 on which two lines of bottles 11 are supported and advanced in side-by-side relation to an indexing or spacing area where the two rows of bottles 11 enter between side indexing conveyors 23 and 23' which are of identical construction and supported on pairs of sprockets 24, 25 and 24, 25' mounted on vertical shafts 26, 27 and 26, 27'. The indexing conveyors 23, 23 are disposed on opposite sides of the run 22 of bottle supporting conveyor 21 for operation in a horizontal plane spaced above the conveyor run 22 and each of these conveyors 23, 23' has a series of bottle gripping block members 27 each with a semi-circular recess 28 opening outwardly and having a shape corresponding to the shape of the bottles 11, with parallel inner runs which are disposed in opposed relation and between which the bottles are engaged by the spacing blocks 27 so as to arrange the two rows of bottles in proper alignment and hold them in proper position for the carriers to be moved down over the tops of the bottles and drawn into telescoping relation with successive clusters of the same as the bottles advance to an assembly area 30.

The carriers 10 which have been opened up or squared up into the condition shown in FIG. 9 by a mechanism which is not shown and which receives the carriers from a magazine or other supply source, also not shown, are advanced in a downwardly inclined path by a conveyor mechanism indicated at 32 (FIGS. 1 to 3). The conveyor 32 may be a pair of side chains disposed on opposite sides of the path of advance of the carriers 10 and having carrier engaging fingers cooperating to hold the carriers in open, squared up condition, with the carriers supported on an inclined bottom plate or rail member 33 (FIG. 3) and with the bottom wall forming flaps 17, 17 extending downwardly of the side wall panels 12 and 12, until they reach tuming rails 34, 34'. As the carriers are advanced the rails 34, 34' and associated back up rails 35, 35' cause the flaps l7, 17' to swing about the hinge lines 18, 18' outwardly and upwardly, as shown in FIG. 3, to an inclined position where the outer edges of the flaps will engage parallel vertically disposed guard plates 36, 36 at the assembly station 30. The side chains forming the carrier feeding or advancing conveyor 32 may be supported on pairs of parallel shafts 37, 38 which are inclined to provide the downwardly inclined path for the carriers 10 and timed so that the carriers are aligned over the bottles 11 as the bottles 11 are advanced on the conveyor 21 to the assembly station 30 where each successive carrier 10 is drawn down over a cluster or group of six of the bottles 1 1.

At the assembly station 30 two endless chain carried mechanisms 40 and 40' (FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5) are provided for drawing the carriers 10 down onto assemblies or groups of the bottles 11. The draw down mechanisms 40 and 40' are disposed on opposite sides of the leading end of the conveyor 21 immediately adjacent the forward end support roller 21. Each of the mechanisms 40, 40' comprises a series of elongate plates 42, 42' which are supported between pairs of side chains 43, 43 carried in laterally spaced relation on vertically spaced pairs of top and bottom sprockets 44, and 44, 45, which sprockets are carried on horizontally disposed, parallel shafts 46, 47 and 46', 47. The cross plates 42, 42' are arranged to extend in planes which are angled outwardly relative to the path of travel of the chains 43, 43' and in the direction of advance thereof. They are properly synchronized so that they extend downwardly when traversing their oppositely disposed inner paths and engage the angularly extending bottom forming flaps 17, 17' on the carriers 10 as the latter are released from the feed conveyor 32 at the assembly station 30. The guide plates 36, 36' hold the carrier flaps 17, 17' in upwardly inclined position while the carriers 10 are drawn down by the plates 42, 42' with the carriers 10 being advanced by advancing movement of the bottles 11 on the conveyor 21 which extends to the leading end of the pull down or assembly station 30. The mechanisms 40 and 40' at the assembly station 30 have a dimension in the direction of advance of the conveyor 21 sufficient to permit the carriers 11 to be drawn completely down onto the bottle assemblies during continuous advance thereof. As the bottle and carrier assemblies advance beyond the assembly station 30, the bottom wall flaps 17, 17' are freed from the guide plates 36, 36 and dropped down into position, as shown in FIG. 5, for engagement by the entrance end of plow members 50 and 50 as shown in FIG. 6. The plow members 50, 50' are tapered in the direction of advance so as to swing the flaps 17 and 17' into bottom forming relation. In this area the bottle and carrier assemblies may be supported on a bottom plate 51 which forms the top part of wall of a horn-like arrangement into which hot air may be directed for activating through suitable apertures in the bottom wall 52 thereof an adhesive on the bottom flap or flaps 17 or 17 of the carrier 10 which is provided thereon for sealing the flaps and forming the bottom seam of the carrier. The completed packages are advanced to a discharge conveyor 53.

The operation of the machine will be apparent from the foregoing description. The carriers 10 are supplied in flattened or knock down condition and suitable mechanism (not shown) may be provided for feeding the collapsed carriers from a supply magazine or other source and opening up or squaring up the same to bring them into the condition shown in FIG. 9 whereupon they are delivered to the conveyor 32 which advances them continuously in a path which is inclined downwardly in the direction of advance and which is aligned above the horizontally disposed top run 22 of the conveyor 21 in which two rows of bottles 11 are advanced and spaced or indexed so as to flow continuously in a forward direction. The conveyor 32 is timed relative to the travel of the conveyor 21 so as to align each successive carrier above a cluster of six bottles as the bottles and carriers reach the pull down station. The bottom flaps 17, 17' are turned upwardly by the plows 34, 34' about the score lines 18, 18' and the free edges engage the fixed guides 36, 36' as the carriers and the associated bottle clusters are advanced through the pull down station 30 by the conveyor 21. The pull down bars or plates 42, 42' which travel in vertical paths are timed to engage the carriers at the hinge lines 18, 18 and force the carriers into telescoping relation with the bottle clusters while the advance of the assemblies continues. The force of the oncoming carrier and bottle assemblies is sufficient to advance the assemblies along the bottom flap closing guides or plows 50, 50 while the flaps 17, 17' are closed and secured and the completed packages are delivered to the discharge conveyor 53.

While the machine has been illustrated as designed for assembling carriers having glued bottom closing flaps, it may be readily modified for the assembly of carriers with bottom closure flaps which have overlapping margins with cooperating tongue and slot locking means, commonly referred to as a Trogman type lock arrangement. A suitable means, such as a pin wheel, or a plow arrangement, for engaging the locking tongues in the slots would be substituted for the hot air arrangement which is shown in the machine illustrated for activating the glue provided on the bottom closure flaps. Carriers having both glue and tongue and slot locking means could, of course, be handled on the machine by providing suitable means for activating the glue and engaging the locking tongues in the cooperating locking slots.

1 claim:

1. A machine for assembling groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers wherein the carriers are characterized, when set up, by side and end walls with the side walls disposed on opposite sides of a center handle and partition structure and connected thereto by cross straps forming two parallel rows of cells which are in paired alignment laterally of the center partition structure and said carriers having cooperating bottom forming flaps hinged to thebottom edges of the side walls, which are adapted to be secured together to form a bottom wall, said machine comprising a bottle conveyor having a horizontally disposed top run on which two rows of bottles may be advanced to an assembly station, means to space the bottles so as to arrange them in successive transversely aligned pairs and groups of predetermined number, a carrier conveyor arranged above the bottle conveyor and inclined downwardly in the direction of advance toward said assembly station, said carrier conveyor having means to support thereon successive carriers in set-up empty condition with the bottom forming flaps in depending relation, means to swing said bottom wall forming flaps to an upwardly and outwardly inclined position, means to align each carrier with a group of bottles advancing on the bottle carrier beneath the same, means at said assembly station for engaging portions of each carrier and for pulling said carrier down onto a group of bottles while the group of bottles and the associated carrier are advancing continuously, means for folding the bottom wall forming flaps on the carrier inwardly and upwardly beneath the group of bottles in the cells of the carrier and means for securing said flaps in bottom wall forming relation.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to swing said bottom wall forming flaps to an upwardly and outwardly inclined position comprises plow members extending along the path of said carrier conveyor.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein guide means are provided at said assembly station for retaining the bottom wall forming flaps in their upwardly and outwardly inclined position while the carrier is drawn down over the associated cluster of bottles and advanced through said assembly station.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for engaging each carrier and for pulling said carrier down onto a group of bottles comprises bladelike members which are disposed to engage the carrier adjacent the hinge connection between a carrier side wall and the associated bottom wall forming flap.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said blade-like members are mounted for movement in a generally vertical plane.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for engaging each carrier and for pulling said carrier down onto a group of bottles comprises an elongated bar member mounted for travel in a generally vertical path.

7. A machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein said bar member is mounted on endless traveling chains disposed alongside the path of advance of said carrier and the associated group of bottles.

8. A machine for assembling groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers wherein the carriers are characterized, when set up, by side and end walls with the side walls disposed on opposite sides of a center handle and partition structure and connected thereto by cross straps forming two parallelrows of cells which are in paired alignment transversely of the center partitionstructure and having cooperating bottom forming flaps hinged to the bottom edges of the side walls, which flaps are adapted to be overlapped and secured to form a bottom wall, said machine comprising a conveyor having a horizontally disposed run on which two rows of bottles may be advanced in longitudinal alignment to an assembly station, means to index the bottles so as to arrange them in closely spaced, transversely aligned pairs, a conveyor arranged above the bottle conveyor and inclined downwardly in the direction of advance toward said assembly station, said conveyor having means to support thereon a series of cellular bottle carriers in set-up empty condition with the bottom forming flaps in depending relation and associated means to bring said carriers into vertical alignment with groups of bottles advancing on the bottle conveyor beneath the same, traveling means at said assembly station for engaging bottom portions of said carriers at opposite sides thereof and for pulling; each successive carrier down onto a group of bottles while said bottles and carries are advancing in a continuous stream, means for folding the bottom forming flaps on each successive carrier beneath the group of bottles in the cells of the carrier and means for securing said flaps in bottom wall forming relation.

9. A machine as set forth in claim 8 wherein said means for engaging portions of said carriers and for pulling each successive carrier onto a group of bottles comprises elongated traveling bar members positioned to engage portions of said carriers and to exert a downward force on each successive carrier while permitting the same to advance continuously.

10. A machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein said bar members are positioned to engage said carriers adjacent the hinged connection of the bottom wall forming flaps with the associated side walls.

11. A machine for assembly groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers wherein the carriers are characterized, when set up, by side and end walls with the side walls disposed on opposite sides of a center handle and partition structure and connected thereto by cross straps forming two parallel rows of cells which are in paired alignment transversely of the center partition structure and having co-operating bottom forming flaps hinged to the bottom edges of the side walls, which are adapted to be overlapped and secured to form a bottom wall, said machine comprising a conveyor having a horizontally disposed run on which two rows of bottles may be advanced to an assembly station, means to index the bottles so as to arrange them in transversely aligned pairs, a conveyor arranged above the bottle conveyor and inclined downwardly in the direction of advance toward said assembly station, said conveyor having means to support thereon a series of bottle carriers in set-up empty condition with the bottom forming flaps in depending relation and associated means to bring said carriers into vertical alignment with groups of bottles advancing on the bottle conveyor beneath the same, means at said assembly station for engaging portions of said carriers and for pulling each successive carrier down onto a group of bottles while said bottles and carriers are advancing in a continuous stream which comprises blade forming bar members mounted for movement in generally vertical paths adjacent the paths of advance of the carriers, means for folding the bottom forming flaps on each successive carrier beneath the group of bottles in the cells of the carrier and means for securing said flaps in bottom wall forming relation.

12. A machine as set forth in claim 11 wherein said blade forming bar members are elongated bar members mounted for movement in generally vertical paths along opposite sides of the path of advance of said carriers.

13. A machine as set forth in claim 12 wherein said bar members are carried in an endless path by conveyor means operating in timed relation to the advance of the carriers and associated bottles so as to engage a bar member with each successive carrier and pull the carrier down over a group of bottles.

14. A machine as set forth in claim 12 wherein said bar members are mounted on pairs of endless chains which are disposed on opposite sides of the path of advance of said carriers and operated so that the bar members engage successive carriers adjacent the hinged connection of the bottom wall forming flaps with the carrier side walls.

15. A machine as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means for folding and securing said bottom wall formin fla s com rises l w members for en a in said fla ps so as to fold said fiaps inwardly into m argin overlapping relation and a device for applying hot air to activate an adhesive material on said bottom wall forming flaps.

16. A machine as set forth in claim 15 wherein said device for applying hot air to said overlapped margins of said bottom wall forming flaps comprises an elongated hollow member disposed adjacent the exit end of said assembly station which forms a support for said carrier and bottle assemblies and which is connected to a hot air supply, with perforations in a wall thereof to direct hot air onto a seam forming area of an overlapped margin.

17. A method of assembling groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers wherein the carriers are characterized, when set up, by side and end walls with the side walls disposed on opposite sides of a center handle and partition structure and connected thereto by cross straps forming two parallel rows of cells which are in paired alignment laterally of the center partition structure and said carriers having cooperating bottom forming flaps hinged to the bottom edges of the side walls, which are adapted to be secured together to form a bottom wall, which method comprises continuously advancing two lines of bottles in a horizontally disposed path to an assembly station, spacing the bottles so as to arrange them in successive transversely aligned pairs and groups of predetermined number, continuously advancing a line of carriers in a path ,which is inclined downwardly and in the direction of said assembly station with the carriers in set-up empty condition and with the bottom forming flaps in depending relation, swinging the bottom wall forming flaps to an upwardly and outwardly inclined position and aligning each carrier with a group of bottles advancing beneath the same, engaging portions of each carrier and pulling said carrier down onto a group of bottles while the group of bottles and the associated carrier are advancing continuously, folding the bottom wall forming flaps on the carrier inwardly and upwardly beneath the group of bottles in the cells of the carrier and securing said flaps in bottom wall forming relation.

18. A method of assembling groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers as set forth in claim 17 and engaging each carrier adjacent the hinged connection of the side walls with the bottom wall forming flaps and exerting a downward pull on the carrier while it is advancing so as to force the carrier downwardly onto the bottles and permit the bottom wall forming flaps to be closed. 

1. A machine for assembling groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers wherein the carriers are characterized, when set up, by side and end walls with the side walls disposed on opposite sides of a center handle and partition structure and connected thereto by cross straps forming two parallel rows of cells which are in paired alignment laterally of the center partition structure and said carriers having cooperating bottom forming flaps hinged to the bottom edges of the side walls, which are adapted to be secured together to form a bottom wall, said machine comprising a bottle conveyor having a horizontally disposed top run on which two rows of bottles may be advanced to an assembly station, means to space the bottles so as to arrange them in successive transversely aligned pairs and groups of predetermined number, a carrier conveyor arranged above the bottle conveyor and inclined downwardly in the direction of advance toward said assembly station, said carrier conveyor having means to support thereon successive carriers in set-up empty condition with the bottom forming flaps in depending relation, means to swing said bottom wall forming flaps to an upwardly and outwardly inclined position, means to align each carrier with a group of bottles advancing on the bottle carrier beneath the same, means at said assembly station for engaging portions of each carrier and for pulling said carrier down onto a group of bottles while the group of bottles and the associated carrier are advancing continuously, means for folding the bottom wall forming flaps on the carrier inwardly and upwardly beneath the group of bottles in the cells of the carrier and means for securing said flaps in bottom wall forming relation.
 2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to swing said bottom wall forming flaps to an upwardly and outwardly inclined position comprises plow members extending along the path of said carrier conveyor.
 3. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein guide means are provided at said assembly station for retaining the bottom wall forming flaps in their upwardly and outwardly inclined position while the carrier is drawn down over the associated cluster of bottles and advanced through said assembly station.
 4. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for engaging each carrier and for pulling said carrier down onto a group of bottles comprises blade-like members which are disposed to engage the carrier adjacent the hinge connection between a carrier side wall and the associated bottom wall forming flap.
 5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said blade-like members are mounted for movement in a generally vertical plane.
 6. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for engaging each carrier and for pulling said carrier down onto a group of bottles comprises an elongated bar member mounted for travel in a generally vertical path.
 7. A Machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein said bar member is mounted on endless traveling chains disposed alongside the path of advance of said carrier and the associated group of bottles.
 8. A machine for assembling groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers wherein the carriers are characterized, when set up, by side and end walls with the side walls disposed on opposite sides of a center handle and partition structure and connected thereto by cross straps forming two parallel rows of cells which are in paired alignment transversely of the center partition structure and having cooperating bottom forming flaps hinged to the bottom edges of the side walls, which flaps are adapted to be overlapped and secured to form a bottom wall, said machine comprising a conveyor having a horizontally disposed run on which two rows of bottles may be advanced in longitudinal alignment to an assembly station, means to index the bottles so as to arrange them in closely spaced, transversely aligned pairs, a conveyor arranged above the bottle conveyor and inclined downwardly in the direction of advance toward said assembly station, said conveyor having means to support thereon a series of cellular bottle carriers in set-up empty condition with the bottom forming flaps in depending relation and associated means to bring said carriers into vertical alignment with groups of bottles advancing on the bottle conveyor beneath the same, traveling means at said assembly station for engaging bottom portions of said carriers at opposite sides thereof and for pulling each successive carrier down onto a group of bottles while said bottles and carries are advancing in a continuous stream, means for folding the bottom forming flaps on each successive carrier beneath the group of bottles in the cells of the carrier and means for securing said flaps in bottom wall forming relation.
 9. A machine as set forth in claim 8 wherein said means for engaging portions of said carriers and for pulling each successive carrier onto a group of bottles comprises elongated traveling bar members positioned to engage portions of said carriers and to exert a downward force on each successive carrier while permitting the same to advance continuously.
 10. A machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein said bar members are positioned to engage said carriers adjacent the hinged connection of the bottom wall forming flaps with the associated side walls.
 11. A machine for assembly groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers wherein the carriers are characterized, when set up, by side and end walls with the side walls disposed on opposite sides of a center handle and partition structure and connected thereto by cross straps forming two parallel rows of cells which are in paired alignment transversely of the center partition structure and having co-operating bottom forming flaps hinged to the bottom edges of the side walls, which are adapted to be overlapped and secured to form a bottom wall, said machine comprising a conveyor having a horizontally disposed run on which two rows of bottles may be advanced to an assembly station, means to index the bottles so as to arrange them in transversely aligned pairs, a conveyor arranged above the bottle conveyor and inclined downwardly in the direction of advance toward said assembly station, said conveyor having means to support thereon a series of bottle carriers in set-up empty condition with the bottom forming flaps in depending relation and associated means to bring said carriers into vertical alignment with groups of bottles advancing on the bottle conveyor beneath the same, means at said assembly station for engaging portions of said carriers and for pulling each successive carrier down onto a group of bottles while said bottles and carriers are advancing in a continuous stream which comprises blade forming bar members mounted for movement in generally vertical paths adjacent the paths of advance of the carriers, means for folding the bottom forming flaps oN each successive carrier beneath the group of bottles in the cells of the carrier and means for securing said flaps in bottom wall forming relation.
 12. A machine as set forth in claim 11 wherein said blade forming bar members are elongated bar members mounted for movement in generally vertical paths along opposite sides of the path of advance of said carriers.
 13. A machine as set forth in claim 12 wherein said bar members are carried in an endless path by conveyor means operating in timed relation to the advance of the carriers and associated bottles so as to engage a bar member with each successive carrier and pull the carrier down over a group of bottles.
 14. A machine as set forth in claim 12 wherein said bar members are mounted on pairs of endless chains which are disposed on opposite sides of the path of advance of said carriers and operated so that the bar members engage successive carriers adjacent the hinged connection of the bottom wall forming flaps with the carrier side walls.
 15. A machine as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means for folding and securing said bottom wall forming flaps comprises plow members for engaging said flaps so as to fold said flaps inwardly into margin overlapping relation and a device for applying hot air to activate an adhesive material on said bottom wall forming flaps.
 16. A machine as set forth in claim 15 wherein said device for applying hot air to said overlapped margins of said bottom wall forming flaps comprises an elongated hollow member disposed adjacent the exit end of said assembly station which forms a support for said carrier and bottle assemblies and which is connected to a hot air supply, with perforations in a wall thereof to direct hot air onto a seam forming area of an overlapped margin.
 17. A method of assembling groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers wherein the carriers are characterized, when set up, by side and end walls with the side walls disposed on opposite sides of a center handle and partition structure and connected thereto by cross straps forming two parallel rows of cells which are in paired alignment laterally of the center partition structure and said carriers having cooperating bottom forming flaps hinged to the bottom edges of the side walls, which are adapted to be secured together to form a bottom wall, which method comprises continuously advancing two lines of bottles in a horizontally disposed path to an assembly station, spacing the bottles so as to arrange them in successive transversely aligned pairs and groups of predetermined number, continuously advancing a line of carriers in a path which is inclined downwardly and in the direction of said assembly station with the carriers in set-up empty condition and with the bottom forming flaps in depending relation, swinging the bottom wall forming flaps to an upwardly and outwardly inclined position and aligning each carrier with a group of bottles advancing beneath the same, engaging portions of each carrier and pulling said carrier down onto a group of bottles while the group of bottles and the associated carrier are advancing continuously, folding the bottom wall forming flaps on the carrier inwardly and upwardly beneath the group of bottles in the cells of the carrier and securing said flaps in bottom wall forming relation.
 18. A method of assembling groups of bottles in cellular basket type bottle carriers as set forth in claim 17 and engaging each carrier adjacent the hinged connection of the side walls with the bottom wall forming flaps and exerting a downward pull on the carrier while it is advancing so as to force the carrier downwardly onto the bottles and permit the bottom wall forming flaps to be closed. 